This blog is made up from press releases sent to me by Thanet organisations or individuals and information gathered from the Thanet District Council website. If you send me a press release for publication here please make it clear what the title is, which bit you want in the comment part and what you want it tagged at the bottom e.g. Steve Ladyman press release. Press releases should be sent to me by email at this email address michaelchild@aol.com just text and images not pdf.

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Response to the call for Thanet District Council Chairman to resign.

Thanet
District Council constitution Council Procedure Rule 21.2 states that
“if there are equal numbers of votes for and against, the Chairman will
have a second or casting vote. There will be no restriction on how the
Chairman chooses to exercise a casting vote.”

Thanet District
Council’s Chairman Doug Clark acted fully in accordance with Council
procedure rules when issuing his casting vote at the Full Council
meeting on Thursday 6 December.

As the Cabinet had
previously taken a decision in relation to the disposal of the Ramsgate
Royal Sands site, and as there were no reports or paperwork supplied to
support an informed debate on this subject at this meeting, the Chairman
considered it appropriate on this occasion, to vote against the motion.

Thanet District Council
Cabinet conducts all of its meetings in public and only excludes the
press and public if commercially sensitive or confidential information
is disclosed. All Councillors receive full copies of Cabinet reports and
all Councillors can attend Cabinet meetings and speak on agenda items.

Cabinet has,
importantly, already agreed that the Chairman of Scrutiny will receive
all of the supporting information and reports with regards to the
Ramsgate Royal Sands development before the council enter into any
binding agreement with the developer.

The Council webcast for this meeting was published yesterday (Royal Sands about 30 mins in). I dont see anything wrong with the Chairing aside from him not taking a point of clarification from Cllr Ezekiel, though I would have liked to see it go to debate.

On the issue of scrutiny, when the agreement is to be signed, it should be brought before a closed session of Council for discussion. The decision is not for Full Council in any case but they should have a say on the finalised agreement. Cllr Alan Poole commented that he would consider "everything that's available to us". I dont think calling an extraordinary meeting for such a discussion would be unreasonable.

The council press release misses a couple of points. There is no question that the Chairman acted constitutionally but the issue is that, whilst it would be expected that he follow the Labour line in any vote on the motion, had it been debated, to use his casting vote to prevent a motion being debated would seem to fall short of being reasonable.The assertion that the lack of detailed papers was a reason for denying debate is ridiculous, as the motion was about procedure NOT the development agreement itself. No papers were needed to inform such a debate.

Anon, 0930, it was Cllr Driver, formerly Labour and now Independent who first demanded this resignation in his own press release on this blogsite in his capacity of Chairman of the OSC. All the Conservatives have done is support his stance, so do you consider this a cheap stunt by Cllr Driver as well or does your distaste only extend to Tories?

The Conservatives should know better. As for Mr Diver he never thinks things through he just thinks about getting his picture in the Paper, ask the pizza lady!Mr Clare had a right, like all Chairman to use his casting vote (Council Procedure Rule 21.2)

True, Anon, he has a right to use his casting vote, but he also has a responsibility to act in the best interests of the public he is supposed to serve. The question is whether or not, by opting for the behind closed doors approach, he actually served public interest. It is certainly debateable.

Obviously a Labour person, Anon 09:32, always ready to resort to charm when opposed and, even then, it should be banker rather than just bank. Mind you, perhaps you were banked against a wall and hatched out in the sun.

How is my comment either racist or homophobic? If you think it is, how about you put your money where your over active mouth, or keyboard, is and tell the police. They can easily trace me a make an arrest on your evidence. I can hardly wait it is all so exciting your poor sap.

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